Sliding cover and housing device thereof

ABSTRACT

A sliding cover and housing device thereof which comprises a sliding cover consisting of a plurality of cover pieces being linked with hinges and a pair of guides being provided along the upper inside walls of a cabinet, whereby the cover assembly can be housed in the rear and upper space of the cabinet in folded state.

United States Patent Inventor Shunichi Matsushima Hamakita-shi, JapanAppl. No. 806,576

Filed Mar. 12, 1969 Patented Mar. 16, 1971 Assignee Nippon Gakki SeizoKabushiki Kaisha Hamamatsu-shi,

Priority Mar. 18, 1968, Mar. 19, 1968, Mar. 19,

1968 Japan 43/21005, 43/21169 and 43/21170 SLIDING COVER AND HOUSINGDEVICE THEREOF 2 Claims, 14 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl. 160/235, 160/35, 160/206 Int. Cl E06b 9/14, E05d 15/26 Fieldol'Search 160/35, 37, 235,183,231(R),206,20l;l6/171,172,130

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,148,724 9/1964 Chieger etal 160/201x 969,580 9/1910 Watanabe 160/35 1,017,808 2/1912 Rush 160/2353,411,560 11/1968 l-laury 160/33 FOREIGN PATENTS 505,101 8/1954 Canada160/235 543,342 6/1922 France 160/235 1,006,436 1/1952 France 160/235222,310 12/1961 Austria..... 160/231 796,534 l/1936 France 160/351,358,330 3/1964 France 160/183 Primary Examiner-J. Karl BellAttorney-Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack ABSTRACT: A sliding cover and housingdevice thereof which comprises a sliding cover consisting of a pluralityof cover pieces being linked with hinges and a pair of guides beingprovided along the upper inside walls of a cabinet, whereby the coverassembly can be housed in the rear and upper space of the cabinet infolded state.

Patented March 16, 1971' 3,570,579

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1

INVENTOR. SHUNI cu]. MA'ISUSHIMA Mush (138- Patented March 16, 19713,570,579

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR. SHUNICHI MATSUSHIMA Patented March 16, 19713,570,579

, 5 SheetehSheet 3 'Fms INVENTOR. SHUNICHI MATSUSHIMA Patented March"16, 1911 3,570,579

5 She ets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. SHUNICHI MATSUSHIMA Patented March us, 19717 3,570,579

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 SHUNI CHI MATSUSHIMA SUDING COVER AND HOUSING DEVICETHEREOF The present invention relates to a sliding cover or shutter anda housing device thereof for cabinets, boxes, containers or the likesuch as record player cabinets, musical instruments cabinets, rolltopdesks, filing cabinets and furnitures.

in the prior construction, the slide cover is merely housed in the rearportion of a cabinet, the inside rear portion of the cabinet is occupiedby a housed portion of the slide cover, and considerable effort isrequired for drawing out the cover under all the weight of the coveracting thereon, so that the operation of the cover is not effectedsmoothly. in particular, with cabinets for record players or the like,the input and output leads of the amplifier are to be taken out from therear portion of the cabinet, so that it is difficult to utilize acabinet equipped with the slide cover device which hinders the rearportion thereof as a cabinet for record player.

The object of the present invention is to provide a compact slide coverhousing device which leaves a space wide enough to utilize the innerrear portion of the cabinet, whereby the sliding action of the cover issmooth, and the opening and closing operation is very easy.

Now the present invention will be described referring to the drawingsfor each of the following examples.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal, sectional side elevation of a cabinet equippedwith housing mechanism of slide cover according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional side elevation of a cabinet when theslide cover is being housed;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal, sectional side elevation showing a part of themutually connected and folded condition of the slide cover pieces;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal, sectional side elevation of a cabinet equippedwith a slide cover housing mechanism of a slide cover according toanother embodiment,

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal, sectional front elevation taken along the lineV-V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal, sectional side elevation of a portion showinga mutually connected and folded state of the slide cover pieces;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view explaining the sectional construction of ahinge connecting a pair of cover pieces;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the hinge;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of a slide cover assembled by connecting aplurality of the slide cover pieces;

FIG. ill is a longitudinal, sectional side elevation of an essentialpart;

FIGS. 11 and 12 are longitudinal, sectional side elevations of theessential parts when the slide cover is folded or bent;

H6. 13 is a longitudinal, sectional side elevation of the essentialparts of the slide cover consisting of another form of embodiment; and

FIG. 14 is a longitudinal, sectional side elevation of the essentialparts at the folding.

FIGS. 1 through 3 show an embodiment of slide cover housing mechanism,wherein guides 43 supporting the slide cover 100 at upper and innerportions on both side plates of the cabinet 41 are formed integrally,and a receiving member id is secured at the rear portion of the cabinetwith its bottom somewhat inclined for receiving the slide cover.

A finger catch 42 is attached at the front end of said slide cover 1%,and when the slide cover is to be housed (that is, when the cabinet isto be opened), said finger catch 42 abuts on a stopper 47 formed on thecabinet so as to prevent the slide cover 100 from falling. The slidecover 100 is formed by connecting a number of rectangular cover pieces45A, 45B, 45C,--45N foldably by means of hinges 46.

The cover pieces 45A, 45B, 45C, 45N and each of the hinges 36 are sointerconnected that they are rotatable for 90 in one direction and a fewdegrees (for about 30) in the opposite direction with regard to thehinge 46, and the slots 48 at the ends of the cover pieces 45A, 45B,45C,-45N are formed .in opposite directions so that every other one ofcover pieces 45A, 45B, 45C,45N can be rotated for 90 and in oppositedirections.

In the .above constitution, when the slide cover 100 is opened (when thecover is to be housed), the slide cover 106) is moved rearward of thecabinet 41 along the guides 43 by pushing the finger catch 42, the coverpiece 45N, which is disengaged from the guides 43, hung by its ownweight at the same time it is bent at the portion of the hinge 46, andis made stable by contacting with the inclined bottom surface of thereceiving member 44.

By pushing the slide cover 100 further, the cover piece 45N1 is bent ina direction opposite to said cover piece 45N, and is folded upon thecover piece 45N.

In this manner, the slide cover 100 thus folded successively is housedin the receiving member 44 until the finger catch 42 abuts on thestopper 47.

Every other one of the cover pieces may be bent in the oppositedirection to the direction of rotation when the cover pieces aredisengaged from the guides 43, but there is no obstacle because they caneach rotate about 30 in one side.

Next, when the slide cover is to be closed (that is, the slide cover isto be drawn out of the receiving member), the slide cover 100 is drawnout by pulling the finger catch along the guide 43. Since the slidecover 100 folded and housed in the receiving member 44 is connected bythe hinges 46, it is drawn up successively and closes the opening of thecabinet 1 as a single plate cover.

in the example shown in FIG. 1, guides 43 are provided extending fromfront to rear at upper and inner portion on both side plates, thereceiving member- 44 is arranged at the rear portion, in which the slidecover 100 is folded as it is pushed successively at the opening of thecover, so that only a small space is required to house the slide cover100, and the cabinet 41 can be made into a compact form, and a spaciousroom is obtained below the receiving member 44. Moreover, the pivotingmotion between the connecting hinge and the cover piece is so smooththat there is no compulsion in the opening and closing operation, thusnot only the opening and closing of the cover is effected very smoothly,but also that total weight of the cover is not applied except the timewhen the cover is fully closed. Furthermore, even at the full closing ofthe cover, the operation can be effected less heavily, because F (forcerequired for operation) equals p. (coefficient of friction) x W (weightof slide cover).

FIG. 4 through FIG. 6 show a cabinet similar to that abovementioned butdiffer in the construction of the cover housing mechanism. The guiderails 33 are formed along forward and backward directions on bothsidewalls of the cabinet body 31 including an opening 32. The numerals34 designate supporting and guiding members each projectingly providedon both sidewalls immediately below the guide slots 33. These supportingand guiding members 34 are each formed by attaching a bar having aboutthe same length as the depth of the opening 32 on the sidewall, butthese members 34 may of course be stamped integral with the cabinet body31. The numerals 35 are cover pieces constituting said slide cover 100,and pintype projections 37 are provided on every other hinges 36 whichrotatably interconnect each of the adjacent cover pieces 35, 35. 38 is afinger catch provided on the extreme front cover piece 35, 39 is a topplate, and when the slide cover 100 is opened, it is stopped by saidfinger catch 38 abutting on the front edge of the top plate 39. Ml showsa housing portion of the slide cover 100, and by forming curved surfaces340 at the rear edge corners of the supporting and guiding members 34placed in these positions, the drawing out and housing of the slidecover lilil can be effected smoothly.

in this embodiment, being thus constituted, when the slide cover 100 ispushed, the cover slides along the supporting and guiding members 34,each of the cover pieces 35, 35,-disengaged from the supporting andguiding members 34, and transferred into the housing 40 successivelybeing folded as shown in FIG. 4 as the guide projections 37 provided onevery other hinges 36 inserted into the guide slots 33.

Thus, all of the cover pieces 35, except the frontmost one, are housedin a suspended and folded state in the housing' itl, and they do notoccupy all of the rear side of the cabinet as in the case of theconventional cover device. When the cover is to be closed, by pullingthe frontmost cover piece 35, all the following cover pieces 35 are alsodrawn successively, and the opening 32 can be covered by the coverpieces presenting a plate as a whole, and the opening and closingoperation can be carried out so smoothly and perfectly without rattlingowing to the existence of guide slots 33 and the supporting and guidingmembers 34.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, the height or depth of the housing forthe cover at the opening thereof requires only the breadth of singlecover piece 35, so that it is possible to decrease the space of thereceiving member 40, thus the effective serviceable area of the cabinetis increased.

The construction of the housing device for sliding cover of the presentinvention may be clearly understood from the above descriptions. In thefollowing, a sliding cover or a shutter which is suitable for the abovedescribed housing device will be explained in detail, especially withregard to novel hinges for the sliding cover.

The hinge is formed as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 by setting two axialpoints B, B spaced at a predetermined spacing on a base line A, A,setting circles C, C which are the fitting lines 1, 1 each with saidaxial points B, B as centers, circles D, D which become fitting slots 2,2, and circles E, E which become guide edges 3, 3 outwardly; connectingfitting edges 1, 1 formed by said circles C, C and the guide edges 3, 3formed between said circles D, D and E, E obliquely at one side of thebase lines A, A so that the fitting slots 2, 2' are formed deeply,whereby both side surfaces 4, 4' are formed. Thus, by connecting twofitting edges 1 and 1' by means of guide edges 3, 3 which exist troughfitting slots 2, 2 of arcuate section having somewhat longer depth thanone-fourth of the circumference; and at the same time, at the inside ofthe axial points B, B, connecting integrally the guide edges 3 and 3'which form a part of said pair of circles E and E, a hinge 6 is formed,having connected portions 5, in the lengthwise direction had having afan-shaped section.

In FIG. 9, on both side surfaces of the cover piece 9, there areprovided curved pieces 7, 7 having the same curvature as said fittingslots 2, 2 and penetrating into the depth of fitting slot 2, 2 at thefolding, and slots 8, 8 having a fan-shaped section and in which theconnected portions 5, 5 of the hinge 6 is accommodated, with thepositions of said curved pieces 7, 7' symmetrical. Said curved pieces 7,7 being so arranged that each of them is inserted and positioned in eachof the fitting slots 2, 2, thus a number of cover pieces 9, 9, 9, 9 areconnected foldably.

The example shown in FIGS. 7 through 12 is formed by narrowing thedistance between axial points B, B and directly connecting arcuate guideedges 3, 3 formed by parts of circles E, E, leaving a projection 10,holding the tips of the curved pieces 7, 7 of cover pieces 9, 9' betweenfitting edges 1, 1', and at the same time forming edges 1'1, 11' of theslots 8, 8

confronting the curved pieces 7, 7 to be positioned somewhat outwardlyof the axial points B, B. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, itis so constructed that the cover pieces 9, 9 are bent at right angle onthe side of fitting edges 1, l, and reversely, they are bent at an angleof about 30 on the side of the guide edges 3,3.

In the example shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the distance between the axialpoints B, B is expanded, and the guide edges 3a, 3'a are connectedintegrally by a base plate 12, of which one surface lies on the baselineA, A, while the centers (where the axial points B, B situate) of curvedpieces 7a, 7a inserted 'into the fitting slot 2a, 2a formed between thefitting edges 1a, la and the guide edges 3a, 3a, are set on thecenterline of the cross section of the cover, and the slots 80, 8'0 areformed shallower so as to form steps 13, 13 contacting with saidbaseplate 12 when folded. Cover pieces 9a, 9a can be folded at rightangle on both sides of the hinge 6a, as shown with solid lines and withchain lines in FIG. 14.

With the slide cover thus constituted, each of the cover pieces 9, 9 or90, 9a rotates with fitting edges ll, 1 or la,

la as the axes, even when the configurations of hinges 6, 6a differ insome degree. That is, since the fitting edges 1, 1' of the hinge 6 aswell as fitting slots 2, 2', the guide edges 3, 3, the curved pieces 7,7' of the cover pieces 9, 9' and the wall surfaces of slots 8, 8 are allformed concentrically with axial points B, B as the centers, when thecover pieces 9, 9' are bent on the sides of the fitting edges, thecurved pieces 7, 7 enter into the fitting slots 2, 2' until they reachthe bottoms thereof, and at the same time the outer edges of the guideedges 3, 3 slip out of the slots 8, 8, and are finally exposed perfectlyoutwardly in a state as shown in FIG. 11, with the curved pieces 7, 7'held by the fitting edges 1 and I.

When the base plate 12 is provided between the guide edges 3a and 3a,sufi'icient clearance can be formed on both sides of the baseplate 12,so that the cover pieces 9a, 9a can be bent in both directions at rightangle with their curved pieces 7a, 7a sliding along the fitting edgesin, l'a.

As states above, the slide cover according to the present invention isso constructed that each parts of the hinge 6 and each parts of sidesurfaces of cover pieces 9, 9 are constituted basing on the portions ofconcentric circles having axial points B, B as their centers, so that noinconveniency will ever occur at the bending or folding and each of thecover pieces can be bent or folded so smoothly. There are also formedbetween the fitting edges 1, l and the guide edges 3, 3 fitting slots 2,2' having an angle or more, and since the curved pieces 7, 7' having thesame shape as the slots are inserted and held therein at the side of thecover pieces 9, 9, the bending angle of the cover pieces 9, 9 can betaken sufficiently large. Also the hinge 6 is usually supported by saidcurved pieces 7, 7 and the slots 8, 8', but on the contrary, when theslide cover is folded, the curved pieces 7, 7' are held, so that thehinge 6 will not separate away by the folding operation of the coverpieces 9,9. 1

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the hinge is heldbetween a pair of cover pieces, so that the appearance of the cover iskept best.

As stated above, the slide cover according to the present invention canfreely be bent without being restricted in angles, so that the housingmechanism may also be constituted as in each of the embodimentalexamples. Furthermore, since the cabinet equipped with the slide coveraccording to the present invention is allowed to be opened completelyfrom front to rear in its lower portion, it has a number of advantageswhen it is applied on cabinets of electrical appliances, such asconveniency in mounting and dis'mounting of terminals, smoothness inopening and closing operation of the cover, complete prevention of coverfrom being dropped into the cabinet owing to the provision of the guideprojections, and easiness of practice because of the simpleconstruction.

It goes without saying that the cover pieces, hinges, parts for housingdevices etc. of the present invention may be made of a suitable materialsuch as wood, metal and synthetic plastics.

The foregoing description contains a limited number of embodiments ofthe present invention. It will be understood, however, that suchembodiments are only illustrative and that numerous variations arepossible without departing from the purview of the invention as definedin the following claims.

I claim:

1. A sliding cover comprising cover pieces having at the opposite endsthereof curved projections the cross section of which are formed by thearcs of circles and edge projections, said curved and edge projectionsforming therebetween slots, said cover pieces having at the oppositeends thereof slots opening in the opposite direction to each other, theinner walls of said edge projections defining said slots being archedconcentrically with the opposite surfaces of said curved projections;and a hinge connecting said cover pieces having two fitting edgesextending towards each other, two guiding edges each connected to thecorresponding fitting edge and formed into an arcuate portion to bereceived in said corresponding slot, and a central portion connectingsaid two guiding edges, said fitting and guiding edges forming fittingslots therebetween receiving said curved projections, and said fittingslots having parallel walls concentric with the opposite surfaces ofsaid curved projections.

2. A sliding cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cover the sidesdefining said slots, and said central portion is formed into a platehaving opposite flat surfaces allowing said stepped portions or saidedge projections to be seated thereon when pieces are provided at theiropposite ends with stepped por- 5 said cover pieces are turned withrespect to Sald hmge' tions located at the sides of said curvedprojections opposite to

1. A sliding cover comprising cover pieces having at the opposite endsthereof curved projections the cross section of which are formed by thearcs of circles and edge projections, said curved and edge projectionsforming therebetween slots, said cover pieces having at the oppositeends thereof slots opening in the opposite direction to each other, theinner walls of said edge projections defining said slots being archedconcentrically with the opposite surfaces of said curved projections;and a hinge connecting said cover pieces having two fitting edgesextending towards each other, two guiding edges each connected to thecorresponding fitting edge and formed into an arcuate portion to bereceived in said corresponding slot, and a central portion connectingsaid two guiding edges, said fitting and guiding edges forming fittingslots therebetween receiving said curved projections, and said fittingslots having parallel walls concentric with the opposite surfaces ofsaid curved projections.
 2. A sliding cover as claimed in claim 1,wherein said cover pieces are provided at their opposite ends withstepped portions located at the sides of said curved projectionsopposite to the sides defining said slots, and said central portion isformed into a plate having opposite flat surfaces allowing said steppedportions or said edge projections to be seated thereon when said coverpieces are turned with respect to said hinge.